Siranush Tulumdzhyan and LA Medical Group Inc. Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud Violations

Siranush Tulumdzhyan, age 28, of Van Nuys, California, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon for her role in a health care fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente. Tulumdzhyan was sentenced to three years’ probation with six months in a halfway house. Tulumdzhyan was ordered to pay restitution to Medicaid in the total amount of $31,589.

LA Medical Group Inc., a Louisiana corporation that she operated as a medical clinic, also was also sentenced today to three three years’ supervised release. LA Medical Group Inc. was ordered to pay restitution to Medicaid in the total amount of $494,268. The government seized $269,057 from LA Medical Group Inc.

According to the bill of information, the defendants participated in a criminal organization for the purpose of fraudulently billing Medicaid. Patients went to the medical clinic for medical tests that were not performed or medically necessary. Patients were moved between Metairie Health Care to LA Medical to repeatedly perform the same unnecessary tests. Metairie Health care has already been sentenced for the same activity. According to the bill of information, if the patients refused the diagnostic tests at LA Medical, prescriptions for narcotic drugs were withheld. Thereafter, bills for the unnecessary services were submitted to Medicaid. Tulumdzhyan was the owner of LA Medical and also an unlicensed and unqualified diagnostic technician, according to the bill of information.

The investigation was conducted by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and the Louisiana Department of Justice, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Patrice Harris Sullivan.